Jingle Ball Night 2

They started chanting the 18-year-old Canadian heartthrob’s name Monday night the moment they walked into Nokia Theatre for the second half of KIIS-FM’s annual (and now expanded) Jingle Ball.

Forget the misconceptions you may have about those still afflicted with Bieber Fever. They come in all shapes and sizes, from the unassuming junior-high tween with a massive crush to the 40-something housewife sipping white zinfandel and moving her hips a bit too provocatively for this PG show.

To them, Bieber could do no wrong. This finale came packed with some of pop’s most frequently played tunes performed by the latest sensations, from Flo Rida to Ke$ha, Pitbull to Psy, yet there was zero question who owned the night.

There were, however, a few haymakers amid this rundown (in order of appearance) who made the bash worth the admission price.

•Zedd – One of the most sought-after producers in the wake of electronic dance music’s latest infiltration into the mainstream, German-born Anton Zaslavski tore through the room with a brand of house jams that dripped with digital psychedelia. Dropping mainstays like “Clarity” and bringing out Matthew Koma for “Spectrum” helped keep this nanosecond-attention-span crowd mesmerized long enough to not scream devotion to Justin Bieber for more than a few minutes.

•The Wanted – Introduced by Kylie and Kendall Jenner, the U.K.’s other hot boy band of the moment were nonetheless lackluster here. Even during the lads’ strongest appeal, via radio hits like “Glad You Came” and “All Time Low,” they never managed to shake a karaoke vibe. No choreography, no theatrics, but self-deprecating banter like “they just want us to finish so Bieber can get started” still leaves these chaps a page in Tiger Beat.

•fun. – In the first weird moment of the night, an acoustic set from these crossover indie champs turned the packed house into a campfire sing-along, all the more amusing for hearing lyrics like “my friends are in the bathroom getting higher than the Empire State” at max volume from preteens.

While the group took the stage with just acoustic guitar, piano and a microphone, frontman Nate Ruess proved commanding, exemplifying why the trio has had such a banner year. The guys only needed three songs to become a convincing highlight, sneaking in the lesser-known “Carry On” between the anthems “Some Nights” and, of course, “We Are Young.” Total fun indeed.

•Afrojack – The superstar DJ and remix artist needed only a few minutes to transform Nokia back into a thumping dance party complete with glow sticks and 25 minutes of fist-pumping beats. As the pulsating intro for “Take Over Control” blared, the scene became more rave than Christmas show.

Capping the set was Mr. 305 himself, Pitbull, for a rousing run through the pairing’s hit “Give Me Everything.” Without Ne-Yo (a star of Jingle Ball’s first night) on the hook, the audience filled in for him while Afrojack and Pitbull bounced around the stage.

•Psy – It would be criminal to think this poptopia would conclude without the South Korean equivalent of Right Said Fred offering some “Gangnam Style.” Genuinely surprised and sincerely grateful, the man born Park Jae-Sang thanked the crowd and host Ryan Seacrest for supporting the single before humbly launching it by saying, “Give me the music, let me see what I can do.” Dapper in a white tuxedo, Psy played ringmaster as 8-year-old girls sang every word while their miserable dads dutifully danced along.

•Flo Rida – The evening’s second awkward moment arrived when this rapper-turned-dance-pop-star introduced his gem “Whistle.” Perhaps unaware that the crowd comprised primarily prepubescent kids, the 32-year old Floridian led then in cringe-inducing innuendo: “Can you blow my whistle baby … Girl, I'm gonna show you how to do it … You just put your lips together and you come real close.”

•Ke$ha – … in a word, killed. What’s savvy about this trashier Lady Gaga is that she perfects pop music by being serious about not being serious. Delivering rousing renditions of “Die Young,” “Blow” and “Blah Blah Blah,” the songstress continues to exhibit credibility as a musician while knowing how to wow a crowd. Were her lyrics darker and drearier, she’d likely be lauded as a cutting-edge electro queen akin to Grimes, Lana Del Rey or any other hipster Pitchfork or Fader has championed. Instead, Ke$ha knocks out stellar, matter-of-fact singles like “Party at a Rich Dude’s House” with dollops of genius levity.

•Bieber – Alicia Keys attempted to introduce him, but midway into her remarks everything became completely inaudible, the sound of unabashed shrieks growing deafening, as if each fan was determined to make sure he could hear only her cries. A few minutes passed before actual music became discernible again. Yet when he tried to quell the mania by bringing out Dan Kantner for some acoustic songs, he still incited pandemonium by referring to how hot it was onstage – and how it must be “because of all the hot girls in the building.”

Despite an obviously changing voice, there’s no denying the kid’s abilities. Sweet moves, check. Dreamy looks, check. Vocal range, (mostly) check. If Bieber had stepped out to read an IKEA catalog for an hour, the response would have been the same. The Beliebers will attest to that.

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